Electrical connector housing



April 29, 1969 w. J. BRUMMANS 3,441,661

' ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING Filed Dec. 13, 1967 v: .w. "1 II UnitedStates Patent US. Cl. 174138 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anelectrical connector housing comprises a body of resilient, electricallyinsulating material formed with a connector-receiving passageway andhaving a wall bounding the passageway cut to define an integrally hingedflap dimensioned such that on pressing the free end of the flap into thepassageway it is held therein by a part of the flap engaging a part ofthe wall.

The present invention relates to an electrical connector housing of thekind comprising a body of insulating material formed with a passagewayfor receiving a removable electrical connector.

In one form of connector housing of this kind the housing is formed witha substantially rigid projection which extends into the passageway. Anelectrical connector for use with the housing has an integral flexiblelance extending away from one surface. After the connector is secured toa wire it is inserted in the passageway, the lance flexing as it passesover the projection and subsequently returning to its unflexed positionat which it engages the projection and prevents the connector from beingwithdrawn from the passageway. If it is desired later to remove theconnector from the housing, an appropriate tool is inserted into thepassageway to depress the lance sufficiently to enable it to pass overthe projection as the connector is withdrawn from the passageway.

In another form of connector housing it has been proposed to provide anintegral, flexible projection or lance on the housing to extend into thepassageway. With this construction no lance is required on the connectorwhich, after it has been secured to a wire, is inserted into thepassageway and pushed past the projection which flexes to permit theconnector to pass. The projection on returning to its unflexed positionengages the connector and retains it in the housing. To remove theconnector an appropriate tool is inserted in the passageway to flex theprojection sufficient for the connector to be withdrawn.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings inwhich there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of theinvention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments arenot intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but aregiven for purposes of illustration and principles thereof and the mannerof applying them in practical use so that they may modify them invarious forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of aparticular use.

Embodiments of the invention are now described by way of example,reference being made to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of an electrical connector housingaccording to the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 shows a section, similar to that of FIG- URE 2, of anotherelectrical connector housing accord ing to the invention.

The connector housing of FIGURES l and 2 consists of a body 1 ofresilient, electrically insulating material formed with a passageway 2to receive an electrical connector 3. The material is such so as toprovide the housing with stiflly-flexible characteristics and an exampleof such material is nylon or the like. The passageway 2 is open at oneend 4 and is closed at the other by a wall '5 having an opening 6through which a second connector (not shown) can be inserted to matewith the connector 3. A wall 7 of the housing is cut through to definean integrally hinged flap 8. The angle of cut is inclined with respectto the longitudinal axis of the housing 7 so that the outer surface 8aof the flap 8 is longer than the inner surface 81). Thus, on depressingthe flap 8 into the passageway 2 the outer surface 8a of the flap 8engages behind the inner surface of the wall 7 and the flap 8 is heldextending into the passageway 2.

In use, an electrical connector 3 is secured at one end to a wire 9, forexample by a crimping technique, and is then passed into the passageway2 through the opening at the end 4 until the free end of the connector 3abuts the wall 5. The flap 8 is then depressed into the passageway 2until the outer surface 8a of the flap 8 engages behind the innersurface of the wall 7. In this position, the flap 8 engages theconnector and prevents it from being withdrawn from the passageway 2.

Should it be desired to remove the connector 3 from the housing, theflap 8 is returned to its original position so that the connector isfree to be withdrawn.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 3 is generally similarto that previously described except that the flap 8 is defined by a cutextending substantially normal to the wall 7 and is formed at its freeend with a projection 10 in accordance with conventional plasticformingtechniques. The projection 10 is dimensioned such that on pressing theflap 8 into the passageway 2 the distance from a hinge line 11 of theflap 8 to the tip of the projection 10 is longer than the distance fromthe hinge line 11 to the opposed end-face 12 of the wall 7 and the flap8 is retained projecting into the passageway 2 by the projection 10engaging behind the wall 7.

The housing of FIGURE 3 is used in the same manner as has been describedfor the housing of FIGURES 1 and 2.

A connector housing according to the invention is simple to manufactureby one of the conventional molding processes, because there are noshoulders or projections ex tending into the passageway to presentdifiiculties on removing the finished housing from the mold. Also, asboth the passageway of the housing and the connector are free ofprojections on assembly and disassembly there is substantially noresistance to the movement of the connector along the passageway at suchtimes. This is of particular importance if the wire to which theconnector is secured is very flexible for with previous housingconstructions it would have been necessary to use an insertion tool toovercome the resistance to entry of the connector.

Thus, with the present housing, no special tools are required forinserting, retaining or releasing the connector. Once the connector hasbeen secured to a wire and inserted in the housing, a small screwdriveror similar tool may be used to depress the flap to retain the connectorand the same tool may be used to return the flap to its originalposition to permit the connector to be withdrawn.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a housinghaving a single connector-receiving passageway, it is equally applicableto a housing having a row of passageways or to a housing having twoparallel rows of passageways. Also, more than one wall can be providedwith a flap to provide plural flaps for engagement with spaced sectionsof an electrical connector when positioned in a passageway of thehousing.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and otherdesirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasizedthat the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown anddescribed herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not asrestrictive of the invention.

The invention is claimed in accordance with the following:

1. An electrical connector housing comprising a body of resilient,electrically insulating material having stifllyflexible characteristicsand provided with a connector-receiving passageway, a wall bounding thepassageway and being cut through to provide an opening having sides andan edge to define an integrally hinged flap, and mating parts providedby said opening and said flap so that on pressing the free end of theflap into the passageway it is held therein by said part of the flapengaging said part of the opening.

2. A housing according to claim 1, in which the free end of the flap isdefined by a cut inclined with respect to the wall, so that the outersurface of the flap is longer than the inner surface.

3. A housing according to claim 1, in which the free end of the flap isprovided with a cut substantially normal to the wall and is formed onits outer surface with a projection so that, when the flap is depressedto extend into the passageway, the distance from the hinge line of theflap to the tip of the projection is longer than the distance from thehinge line to the opposed edge of the opening in said wall therebymaintaining said free end disposed within said passageway.

4. A housing for housing a connector comprising a body ofstifily-flexible plastic material having a passageway extendingtherethr-ough for receiving said connector therein, means provided bysaid passageway for engagement by an area of said connector for limitingmovement of said connector, when positioned in said passageway, in onedirection therein, flap means provided by wall means of said body, saidflap means being cut out from said wall means and being integrallyconnected along one end to said wall means so as to be free for movementinto said passageway for engagement with another area of 'said connectorto limit movement of said connector in a direction opposite to the saidone direction, and means provided at a free end of said flap means andsaid wall means adjacent said free end to maintain said free end of saidflap means in said passageway after said free end has been positioned insaid passageway for engagement with said another area of said connector.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,682,038 6/1954 Johnson 339-2043,263,205 7/ 1966 Chandler 339205 X FOREIGN PATENTS 468,350 9/ 1950Canada.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 339213, 217

